Urologist
You specialise in the urinary system and treat conditions that affect millions of Africans.
What this life looks like
The kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra form the urinary tract – a system critical to removing waste from the body, regulating fluid balance, and maintaining health. As a Urologist you are both a physician and a surgeon, diagnosing and treating conditions across this system in both women and men, plus the male reproductive organs. Urology combines the complexity of medical management with the precision of surgical intervention. In Africa urological disease carries a high and growing burden. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men across sub-Saharan Africa and is often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Bladder cancer, kidney stones, urinary tract infections – particularly in women – and schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease that causes chronic bladder damage and is concentrated in Africa, all create a significant urological disease burden. Yet urologists are in extremely short supply across the continent. Training in urology in Africa means working at the intersection of surgery, oncology, and internal medicine in a specialty where the need far outstrips the workforce.
What she actually does
A Urologist diagnoses and treats conditions of the urinary tract and male reproductive system, performs surgical procedures including cystoscopy, prostatectomy, nephrectomy, and lithotripsy for kidney stones, manages urological cancers, treats urinary incontinence and dysfunction, manages male reproductive conditions, and addresses the urological complications of conditions including diabetes and schistosomiasis.
Where you can work
| Sector | Places in Africa |
|---|---|
| Urology units in government and private hospitals | Lagos University Teaching Hospital Urology Unit (Nigeria), Groote Schuur Hospital Urology Dept (South Africa), Kenyatta National Hospital Urology Unit (Kenya), University Teaching Hospital Urology (Zambia) |
| Specialist urology centres | Nairobi Urology Centre (Kenya), Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre Urology (South Africa), Cedarcrest Hospital Urology (Nigeria), Ndola Teaching Hospital Urology (Zambia) |
| Cancer treatment programmes | Cancer Diseases Hospital Lusaka (Zambia), Nigeria Institute for Medical Research, Chris Hani Baragwanath Oncourology Unit (South Africa), Uganda Cancer Institute |
| Academic urology departments | University of Cape Town Division of Urology, University of Lagos Urology Dept, University of Zambia/UTH Urology, University of Nairobi Urology Unit |
| Private urology practice | Uro-Oncology Clinic Lagos (Nigeria), Nairobi Urology Centre (Kenya), Pretoria Urology Hospital (South Africa) |
| NGO programmes addressing schistosomiasis and its complications. | Schistosomiasis Control Initiative (SCI) across sub-Saharan Africa, Carter Center schistosomiasis programme, WIPO Re:Search collaborative for neglected tropical disease drug development |
Why it matters in Africa
Schistosomiasis affects over 200 million people globally, with the vast majority in Africa – and chronic bladder schistosomiasis causes bladder cancer that kills tens of thousands of Africans annually. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer in African men but is poorly screened for and frequently diagnosed only when it has already spread. Kidney stones are common and cause severe pain and kidney damage if untreated. The shortage of urologists means that patients with treatable urological conditions suffer unnecessary complications.
Your pathway in
Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics at secondary school. Then MBBS or MBChB over five to six years, followed by housemanship. Urology residency and fellowship through the West African College of Surgeons, the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, or equivalent body follows over five to six years. Subspecialisation in paediatric urology, oncourology, or female urology can follow.
Skills you will need
Technical: Endoscopic urology including cystoscopy and ureteroscopy, open and laparoscopic surgical techniques, laser lithotripsy, prostate surgery, and urodynamic studies. Human: Sensitivity when discussing conditions that affect intimate bodily functions – many patients find urological conditions embarrassing to raise – the ability to communicate about cancer prognosis clearly and compassionately, and patience for long-term management of chronic conditions. Digital tools: Urological endoscopy systems, laparoscopic surgery tools, urodynamic monitoring equipment, and imaging interpretation for renal and pelvic conditions.
A woman in this field
Dr. Mumba Chalwe-Kaja
Zambia
Zambian consultant urological surgeon and the first female urologist in Zambia. Currently Head of Urology at Ndola Teaching Hospital, she holds a Fellowship in Urology from the College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa, and a Diploma in Cancer and Clinical Oncology from Queen Mary University of London. She serves as Associate Editor of the Annals of African Surgery, Deputy Editor of the East, Central and Southern African Journal of Surgery, and is a board trustee of the British Journal of Urology International. She is Chairperson of the Women in Surgery Africa (WiSA) board and was awarded the Gold Medal for academic excellence by COSECSA in 2018. She also authored The Beginner's Guide to Urology, a survival guide for urology in developing nations.
Take your first step
Biology and Chemistry are your core subjects at school. The urinary system is one of the most fascinating in the human body – start by understanding how the kidneys filter blood and why that process is essential to life. Look at the Urology Society of South Africa and the West African College of Surgeons websites to understand what urology training in Africa looks like. If you are interested in surgery, any opportunity to observe surgical procedures in a hospital setting will give you a sense of whether the operating theatre is an environment where you want to spend your career.